The Terminators: Army of Legend - Volume V (2013)
by Sir Areis Lionheart
Summary: The Second Civil War-what has plagued the United States of America for three long years-has reached its resolution, but the Terminator Militia, an army unlike any you can imagine, is struggling in the aftermath. Threats arises and tension increases between Alpha Company and the rest of their brothers-in-arms. Rated M: For Intense War Violence, Strong Language, and Sexual Content
1. Prologue: The Light at the End

_**Prologue**_**:**

**-''The Light at the End''-**

**-Compound C: Phoenix, Arizona-**

**-_5 February 2013_-**

**-_0645 Hours_-**

Four...long...years...

For four long years, we have been the targets of a dictatorial president, intent only on our sheer destruction for our faith...

Ever since our founding in 1997, we've been nothing but heroes...protectors...of this once glorious country. The Terminator Militia was found on a principal of help, good, and God.

We are an army of God...we have been through so much...and yet we have always pulled out in the end. He never gives us more than we can take...and we can take a lot. Perhaps that was why we survived the failed nuking of our capital, New Alexandria, in 2011. New Alexandria...a city protected by nearly impenetrable, sandstone walls, an electron forcefield...and surrounded in a graveyard of armor, aircraft, and artillery...souvenirs of this baseless war we've been engaged in since 2010...

But our driving force is our faith. Even in the darkest of times, we never lost hope, never lost faith...everything happens for a reason...and for awhile, it did seem that this war, the Second Civil War between the Terminator Militia and the radical US military...the _Maxia _Regime...was never ending. Lately, I've been having dreams...dreams of a brighter future...dreams of a time where this is no war. I feel, for whatever reason, that the end is near...that the war is almost over...and soon, we will be free.

Free to live...free to express our faith...free to walk the land without fear of death, punishment, or capture.

The American view on the _Maxia _is diminishing, those who were once blind defenders of them are now seeing the error of their ways...seeing through the lies of President Barry Mabao. They are now seeing that this war...that he wants to continue this war...and we want to end it.

For three years, we have been engaged in this brutal war, watching a formerly great nation fall into tatters and rags. For three years, our only goal was to survive...to outlive this war and someday see a return to what once was...to see a return to peace. Yet, some of you may be wondering...what is this? Who am I?

Well...

I am the Great Commander Alex Vaughn, founder and leader of the Terminator Militia, a band of some of the most incredible characters you will ever meet. We live in what is known as the Base World. It is the world where all universes, real or imagined, eventually end up. Think of a room. The Base World is the floor, the walls are the physical embodiments of time and space. Between these metaphorical barriers lines endless chains of universes, like a string of pearls. Each universe is a pearl, the barriers keeping them apart act as the string. Imagined or fictional universes are much weaker than the natural born universes, whether bred by God or blown from the Big Bang, the origin does not matter. Over time, these false worlds break down...they deteriorate, they break, and they fall to the floor. Sometimes, the spatial barriers keeping them apart weaken, resulting in multiple universes touching, during which physics causes both worlds to absorb one another. Once the worlds fall to the floor-the Base World-they are absorbed...the Base World itself expanding to accustom them...like droplets of liquid mercury attract to form a puddle.

Because of this phenomenon, many, many, many worlds end up in my own...many of them you would never even begin to imagine. The Base World is a 'real' world, meaning that by the time I meet these characters, they have grown...matured...taken to the vices that plague our teens and adults...and even our children today. Many of these characters seek us out, wanting the companionship of Alpha Company, the leading division of my army, which is primarily composed of many characters that they can akin to.

Heading back further into my story. When I was three, I was kidnapped, taken away from my parents and forced to join the Tan Army...and they weren't the little plastic guys you'd expect either. The Green/Tan war was a truly devastating showdown, in a world faraway from the country where I lived, but still, one of the final battles ended up in my hometown, during which I was caught in the crossfire.

I was taken away from my mother...corrupted at the young age of three, by age four, I had already slain several hundred people. But...there was something unique about me, General Plastro saw it...but there was something different. Some kind of destiny surrounded me...he told me that I was a child of the Gods. That somehow...I held some kind of power that wasn't found anywhere else.

I advanced quickly through the ranks of the Tan Army, purposely treated to become obedient zombies to submit to authority without conflict. The treatments did not work on me, and before a year had passed, I had risen to Brigadier General, and was Plastro's second-in-command.

There was another boy, named Zack...he was my hero...my best friend...he helped me when no one else did...but he was taken away far before his proper time...my army...it was his dream, not mine...it was built in his honor.

On a trip to Africa, I gained the first two members of my army...Simba and Nala, and brought them before my commanding officer, forcing him to allow me to create a branch off the Tan Army. He hesitantly submitted, under the condition that the training and supplies were paid for by me. In a dream, I was told how to create a special potion...a serum...designed to turn a regular man-or in this case, boy-into an unstoppable warrior.

Upon my awakening, I acquired seemingly random elements and devices, soon creating the mutation serum, what gives Alpha Company the supersoldier qualities we have. Over time, we expanded, my army expanded. I set out to expand the Terminators by forging alliances, unlike my predecessor, who strove to annex anyone and everyone he could.

It didn't take long before we reached a height of power and respect. We were heroes to not just America, but to the whole world...even if they were at first doubtful about my 'corruption' of seemingly innocent characters. As I grew older, the effect of a child without innocence began to play on me. My dreams were that of nightmares...and while most pubescent boys dreamed of girls they liked, of girls they wanted, I instead dreamed of past battles...where friends died in my hands. In school, I was mistreated, cast off as a social reject...we all were.

We were seen as psychopaths...even invalids...we were bullied, and we could not fight back, or else fear authority involvement and a damage to our reputation. For a long time, we took what we were dealt, but it also began to warp our development...we watched the world go by, always alert for the slightest offset detail...alert for any sign of a battle or attack. Our peers talked about crushes and broken hearts...friendship and animosity...what's popular and what's uncool...

And here we were, unable to understand how they could so blindly walk by without fear...of a worst case scenario. Here we were, thinking instead of battle plans...how to kill...who to kill...memories of battles...memories of deaths...strategies...

Eventually, I reached a point where I found myself no longer able to be effected by their smirks and their laughs, their scolds and their catcalls...my heart hardened...and this further warped my development. When I reach sexual maturity...my first love was not some scantily clad woman in my class...no, I lost my virginity to a dragon, a member of my own team, Cynder...

I later acquired a girlfriend, whom became my fiance...but during that time, I also made a new friend and lover in Rainbow Dash, another new member of my squad. During the later half of the war...many things changed...and I further strayed from the 'good path'. Then these dreams...they began to lift me up again.

For once, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel...for once, I realized that the war was not permanent...and once I saw morale for us increase, I realized that we would soon return to a golden age again. No longer would society think of us as religious zealots.

No longer would all of our good deeds be written off with ulterior motives tagged onto them.

The tables had turned.

The _Maxia _were falling.

All we needed was a catalyst...and the war was over.

_Frater pro Infinito._

_**Then...**_

**-''The Wrath of a Terminator, Pt. III: Breaking Point''-**

**-Compound C: Phoenix, Arizona-**

**-_1 February 2013_-**

**-_1603 Hours_-**

_Slowly...ever so slowly..._

_Alex opens his eyes, his heart beating mercilessly...pounding in his head. His vision is red and speckled orange. He is dazed, confused, his mind, his thought, his memories...are shattered...like pieces of glass from some fragile cup that has fallen to the floor and broken. When some awareness returns, he realizes that he is buried under a pile of rubble. His whole body burns, he can't feel anything. That healing itch is continuous...prominent enough to drive him insane. He gathers the strength to kick at the debris, crying out when a hellish pain shoots through his body in reply. Again he kicks the debris, biting back the urge to scream and cry...the pain is so tremendous...so intense...he wants to die. Death is better than this...this pain..._

_The pain..._

_He kicks a third time, and finally, the wall of debris breaks free, spilling in blinding red/orange light...a fiery sunset. He cries out against the light, terrified to find that his voice his a harsh whisper, like the undead. He throws his arm against the light, crying out in alarm and staring at the arm, now aflame. The skin beneath is constantly shifting and moving...like its alive and squirming...burning to a coal before healing to normal...burning and healing...burning and healing. He tries to douse the flames, but they are beyond his control._

_He can't control the fire..._

_He crawls out of the wreckage, ignoring the fierce, unrelenting pain. He reaches the end of the pile, crying out as he falls off, rolling down the pile of debris, the pain becoming even worse than before. He lays on the burning hot ground, looking up into the smoky, hazy skies. Debris is blowing in a powerful, unnatural wind, and black snow rains from the skies...He lays there...unmoving for what feels like hours, before finally turning onto his side, slowly and carefully picking himself up as he looks up, mouth dropping at the site of a mushroom cloud hanging over Phoenix. All around him are charred bodies, burning brightly...bonfires...he limps through the burning, broken, apocalyptic world, searching for only one thing..._

"Dash..."_ he shouts...his voice pitiful and weak. _"Dash...where are you?"

_Memories surge through his brain...the fountain, the war, the execution, the stampede. Crash and Requiem, Cheet and Perdition. The girl, No.1, the odd, unknown force that so recently left his mind after living there for so long. His dreams...the ones with Rainbow Dash prior to their mating, their actual union, his initial rejection of her...everything...every little detail._

_And now...now the memories are sending him on a nauseating ride through time and space. He sees himself as a child, swinging on the swingsets, the color of the world around him similar to this, but more vibrant, more lush and filled with life. The invasion, his separation from his mother, Plastro...his time in the tan base..._

"Zack..." _he cries, voice a mournful whine as he remembers the boy that had been his best friend...his only friend... _"Zack...Zack...Zack..."

_Now he's away from that...away from Zack's execution, now he's awakening on the day where it all began...the day where he met Simba and Nala._

_Now he's in Africa...Simba and Nala...just cubs, rolling around in the tall Savannah grasses._

_Now he's in Chicago, being tortured within an inch of his life by No-Tongue, leader of the LKA._

_Now he's watching Rapid's death..._

_Now he's in the asylum, killing the man responsible for his torture...and thus Piermont's own._

_Now he's speaking to Necrodusk for the first time, after the stampede._

_In the now, he groans, walking the earth, searching for Rainbow Dash..._

_Now he sees Rudolph, and now they are in Chicago, on Lake Michigan, as Rudolph gets injured by a flyby from an LKA fighter plane..._

_Now he meets Spyro...now they're rescuing Cynder...now he meets Terrias..._

_One by one, his life unfolds before his delirious eyes before he reaches the end of the timeline...his assassination of President Mabao, each detail of the repeating memory outlined in grisly detail. In an instant, reality snaps back to him...and all he sees is this burning hellhole that slightly resembles the base in Phoenix, Arizona..._

_After what seems like hours, a blue blur catches his eye, and he turns to see Rainbow Dash, laying on her side, her back to him...aflame._

_He stumbles to her side, tripping over a stone and falling to ground, sending spikes of white hot pain surging through his body...enough to summon tears._

"_Ruby..." he cries, remembering the dolphin at the aquarium... "Ruby...help me..."_

_He wraps his arms around his mate, holding her body tightly to chest as tears flow down his face, evaporating..._

"_Ruby...Dash...Cynder...Spyro...lovers...mates..." and he begins to glow faintly orange before, in a flash of orange light..._

_...He's gone..._


	2. Chapter I: Aftermath

_**Chapter I**_**:**

**-''Aftermath''-**

**-_Location: Unknown_-**

**-_Date: Unknown_-**

**-_Time: Unknown_-**

"Okay students," a fifth grade teacher began, closing the door and walking to the other end of the classroom where her board was as she picked up a marker and began writing, "Today we are going to learn about integers...

The class groaned.

"They're pretty easy once you get used to them..." and she wrote the number '0' on the board.

"_DASH_!" and in a flash of light, two figures fell out of the air, appearing from nowhere, and onto the ground.

Both were badly beaten and bloody...and both were on fire.

The class screamed in terror and fled, the teacher running to her desk and digging around for her cell phone, with which she dialed 9-1-1. "Hello, Operator? Oh Jesus...there's two bodies here...I don't know who they...okay...we're at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School..."

Alex opened his cold blue eyes, coughing as he slowly sat up, only to fall back down again. The pain was still overwhelming...but one feeling...one emotion...overcame all...his love for Dash and the need to at least touch her. He crawled over the the cyan Pegasus, fur and rainbow-colored mane badly burned and singed from the fires of the nuclear explosion that had torn apart Phoenix and ended the corrupt, radical, antitheoistic _Maxia _Regime with a rather dramatic bang. "Mabao..." he muttered, "Dead?" then when memory of the execution of Mabao returned, he smiled weakly, "War...over..."

Unaware of the frightened teacher standing in the corner, or the rapidly approaching sirens and footsteps, he curled around his mate's body, and held her tightly, kissing her forehead as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

-_**Seven Days after the Nuking of Phoenix**_**-**

A Hornet emerged out of the electric blue sphere of a teleporation vortex, followed by several more, flying in the star-filled skies above the desert around Las Vegas. Its passengers consisted of Northwestern Regional Commander Spyro the Dragon, Great Commander Alex Vaughn's 'wing-second' and second-in-command. The purple dragon looked worried as he stared over at the United States Marines sitting across from him, they too looked equally as anxious. Beside the purple dragon sat his mate, a black dragon named Cynder, General within Alex's ranks and also his third in command, one of the High Command of Alpha Company no less. She looked at her mate with a worried look, her emerald-sapphire catlike eyes staring into his fear-stricken purple ones. She touched her forehead to his, tangling her tail with his, a Dragonian sign of affection.

_Are you okay? _She asked him via telepathy...an ability all members of Alpha Company possessed. In addition to that, their minds were connected in a collective they called the 'mutual mind bank' enabling telepathic conversations with multiple people at once, almost like a telepathic chat room.

He nodded, _Yeah...'cept for the guys across from us...just a week ago we were killing these guys...now we're fighting alongside them?_

_I know...it's weird_, she comforted, _But the war is over, Mabao is surely dead, the _Maxia _have disbanded...and President Aaron Summers is friendly towards us...he'll take care of us._

_Don't expect me to trust them, _he replied with a low growl, _Kinda hard to look at these guys, wearing the same damn bodysuits that the _Maxia _wear and not remember our wonderful little exchanges these past few years..._

_I know what you mean...but in time...we'll get over it._

_I sure hope you're right, Cynder..._ he sighed.

She chuckled, _Oh don't worry, sexy, I'm always right_, and she winked.

He grinned, kissing her mouth lightly, _I love you._

She smiled, _I love you, too..._ and they nuzzled heads again, both of them purring contentedly.

"Oi! Get a fucking room you two! Christ, we don't wanna see that shit around here!" Piermont, Alex's bonded dragon, and another member of the High Command, said, glancing spitefully at the two dragons.

"Piss off, Pierre, I'm not in the damn mood."

"Oh wah! Stop being a crybaby...sheesh. Fuckin' pansy."

Spyro, acting commander of the Terminator Militia due to Alex's absence, glared in annoyance at the dragon, who was right now in a human form. Piermont's natural form was a male, deeply battle-scarred emerald, Martaanean forest dragon, about nine to ten feet tall from foot to the tip of the slightly curved back, ribbed, tan horns atop his head, and proportionately long. His eyes were of a deep emerald, as were his scales, save his belly and battle-torn wing membranes which were of a pale yellow-green, and his claws, horns, and spikes, which were ivory. Along his forehead, scarred in a scale arrangement was what appeared to be a reversed, inverted question mark, with a period in the center, surrounded by the curve as well as at the base of the 'question mark' shape...his and Alex's bonding symbol, scarred into their bodies upon point of first contact. Alex had the same mark burned into his right hand as a raised scar on his palm and up onto his forearm. In Piermont's human form, he wore black slacks, black combat boots, a studded leather jacket over a clean white undershirt, black motorcycle gloves, and black shades over his unnaturally colored eyes, which remained as green as his normal form. His bonding scar still remained, burned into his forehead and barely visible beneath his hairline. Many of the animalian Alpha Company members possessed human forms, and although they came in different shapes and sizes, the main similarity was that the eye color could not be changed from their natural forms. Piermont's hair was thick and a rich black, greased back, and his slightly pale complexion was nearly flawless. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pack of Marlboros, sticking one in the corner of his mouth and striking a flame with his fist, which he used to light the cigarette. Cigarette lit, he balled his hand into a fist, extinguishing the pyrokinetic flame before sitting back, crossing his legs and stretching his arm to the side on the top of the seat, taking a deep drag of his cigarette before lifting his head to the sky and exhaling deeply.

"Yeah...well don't smoke in here," Spyro grumbled, "Enclosed space, and I don't wanna smell that shit."

Piermont flipped him the bird.

"You would, wouldn't you?" Spyro replied, eyes narrowing.

The human-form forest dragon chuckled, "Nah. I'll leave the gay crap to Alex...you guys dig that shit anyway."

Spyro rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Yo!" Piermont began, kicking the seat in front of him, "Wake up, man."

Terrias, yet another member of the High Command woke up with a start. "The hell do you want, Pierre?" he asked, stretching.

"No sleeping on the job, slacker."

Terrias was a servine, a Pokemon from the Unova region, with the hair on the top of his head spiked up. He, too, was scarred, but less from battle and more from his abusive former owner. He wore a long, black, leather, full length trench coat, and had a silver-sheathed sword at his side, the pommel of the sword set with a leaf stone, a family heirloom his mate, another abused servine he had grown up with and a childhood friend named Aria, had given him as a gift many years earlier. As he sat back, the unbuttoned front of the coat pulled away, revealing his bare chest, where a defining feature was the bald, raised flesh forming a clean, thin 'X' shape with a horizontal line beneath the mark along his navel. This was a scar dealt to him by a former commander of the _Maxia_ Regime, a thought-to-be-dead traitor in the Terminator Militia, named Jazz Jackrabbit, who then, after being killed during the latter half of the Second Civil War, was resurrected by the late Regime's puppetmaster in an expensive project, and defected to the Terminator Militia once again.

"Terrias, man, I like you and all, but would you please close your front? No one wants to see your morning wood."

The servine, alarmed, looked down but found that he hadn't emerged, the protective sheathe on his lower belly was still fully closed, the blood red, smooth length of his sex-defining appendage was nowhere in sight, and he glanced up at the chuckling forest dragon with an irritated look.

"Ha! Made ya look!"

"Well, you're sure a bucket of laughs today, aren't you?" one of the marines sitting beside the human-form dragon said, turning to face the dragon, "Maybe I should call you Chuckles. That can be your callsign."

"I ain't afraid of you, in my book, you're still _Maxia_. You turn on me? You're dead before you knew what hit ya, understand?"

"At ease, Pierre."

"Screw you, Spearow, no one asked you."

Spyro shook his head at the pet name the forest dragon had given him.

There was a knocking on the wall near the cockpit, and a yellow, two-tailed fox, named Miles 'Tails' Prower, pilot for Alpha Company, turned back, "We're ten minutes outside of the camp...you guys ready to kick some _Caeda _ass?"

The _Caeda _were a combination of former Terminator enemies, all specially trained and intent on being a branch of the _Maxia _Regime. Five leaders were chosen to lead the _Caeda_, Maximus, a sage of the anarchist Brotherhood cult, General Mason, a prominent _Maxia _general, Jazz Jackrabbit, former Terminator traitor-turned-anarchist, and General John 'No-Tongue' Roberts, former leader of the LKA, or Little Kid Army, a rather humorously named cluster of seemingly innocent characters, 'bastardized', corrupted, and twisted to fight against the Terminator Militia, who was later killed before being resurrected, along with Jazz, during a _Maxia-_funded trip to Installation 02 of the _Halo _superweapon array, supposedly containing an ancient machine that could resurrect someone from even the smallest cell. Although the _Maxia _had fallen, there was still light _Caeda _resistance that were attempting to reignite the concluded Second Civil War.

Spyro looked out the window of the Hornet, where the _Fiernes Curtain_, an immense, mile-high wall of incredibly hot dragonfire that had surrounded the northern half of the United States since the dawn of the war, was gone. Following the escape from Phoenix, where President Mabao had (presumably) been killed, Beta Company,the Terminator Militia's dragonrider division, had taken down the wall of dragonfire that had been a symbol of the war and the Terminator's struggle for survival for three years following President Summers' speech ending the war and officially reinstating the Terminator Militia as reserves for the US Armed Forces, as well as clearing their damaged reputation, caused by Mabao who had ordered overnight raids on cities and the slaughter of hundreds of civilians, framing the militia for the terrible deeds and thus giving him a reason to declare war, his ultimate goal.

Despite the fact that the _Fiernes Curtain_ was now nothing more than charcoal, glass, and smoldering embers, the charred, baked, cracked, desert-like wastelands to either side still remained, and probably would for some time. It would take a long time for nature to retake the Southern Wastelands and the Burned Lands. In the skies above the planet, the massive LEDs along the interior of the Terminator-owned 'Ring', a spatial superweapon encircling Earth like a ring, and capable of extremely hot, highly concentrated plasma beams with an incredible effect radius, still glowed 'standby orange'. The way both Earth was orbiting and the ring was turning, the skeletal portion of the Ring was still visible. The skeletal segment was caused after the _Maxia _hijacked the ring, causing it to fire on itself and blast away a chunk of it, also disturbing its center of gravity and threatening to knock Earth out of orbit. After the incident, the Ring was shut down and rebuilding of the broken segments slowly began. Although with the war ending, the odds of completing construction was highly unlikely. Unless, of course, Alex decided to keep the weapon of mass destruction as a last resort or a memento of the war.

"Wonder how things are gonna change, y'know?" Cynder asked her mate.

"What do you mean?"

"Y'know...with the war over...it's all we've known. Heck, I don't even think we were here very long when the war began...now it's over...well...where do we go from here?"

"That is the burning question, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"Well...don't worry, we'll figure out soon. Eventually, we'll get used to it...and find other things to pass the time."

"We're coming up on the camp, you guys ready for deployment?" Tails asked.

Every soldier in the Hornet stood, heading to the sliding door and waiting for the red light above the door to turn green. Once it did, the door was forced open, a rope tossed, and the Marines slid down into the camp, Alpha Company following suit.

Alex slowly opened his eyes, finding himself surrounded by scientists in radiation suits. "Dash..." he groaned, sitting up and finding the Pegasus gone. His eyes widened, "DASH!" and he jumped up, heading for the hall into the rest of the school.

"He's awake! Somebody subdue him!"

"Dash! Where are you?" he cried out, running through the hall, world spinning all around him, lights blinding...everything had an aura. "Dash! DASH!"

He was unaware of the dozen tranquilizer darts embedded in his flesh as he raced through the school and hall, searching for his mate.

As the tranquilizers began to take an effect on him, he fell to his knees, falling forward until he was laying face down on the floor. "Dash..." he whispered, finding that his thoughts deviated from the Pegasus and to No.1 as he began to slip away. _No.1? _He thought out, _Dash_..._I_...

And he finally surrendered to the void and the enveloping warmth and numbness.

_Where are you..._

"Alright," Spyro began, "Let's hightail it out of here. Bombs are ago, place is history. Tails, bring the Hornet back, time for us to go."

"Affirmative, Commander, I'm on my way. ETA ten minutes. Get back to the LZ, I'll be there shortly."

"You got it!" and Spyro turned to face the rest of the soldiers standing before him, "Tails is on his way to the LZ. Let's move."

"Spyro?" Cynder asked her mate.

Spyro, who was watching as Tails landed his Hornet, the other Hornets filling up and taking off around him, turned to face his mate, "What's up?"

In the dim light of the spotlights on the Hornets, shining around the dark landscape, he could see that she looked very sad, and also deeply tired. It was apparent that she had been losing sleep lately, and she looked ill because of it."Do you think they're okay?"

Knowing very well who she was talking about, Spyro only sighed and shrugged, "I...I don't know."

"I just...I'm afraid...what if they're dead?"

"I highly doubt they are, Cyn."

"But they were caught in a nuclear explosion! Yeah Alpha Company can put up with a lot of harsh situations...but I don't think we can even survive a nuclear explosion!"

"We have before, Cyn, remember?"

"Yes, but this is different!" and she growled, "I just...I'm afraid...I just hope they're alive an okay."

"Well..." Spyro began after a few moments of silence as they boarded the aircraft and it rose into the air, heading back to New Alexandria, "Here's some hopeful relief...Pierre's still alive. If Alex WERE dead, then surely Piermont would be, too."

"But we don't exactly know the effect a Rider's death has on a dragon...or at least in Alpha Company. Yeah dragons suicide if their riders are slain in Beta Company...but how do we know that the same physics don't apply here? We're mutants after all...more so than the Riders."

"We would have felt their deaths, Cyn."

"But look! The explosion knocked us out cold! How do we know that we DIDN'T feel the dying pains and just slipped right through them."

"I doubt they would have gone unfelt, even while unconscious."

"What if they were being masked by the other pains we were feeling from the crash? Or the burns from being in such close proximity to the blast?"

"Once more," Spyro replied, hint of annoyance in his voice, "The pain of losing one of our own is much, much worse than any other pain we could possibly imagine. If they DID die in the blast...we would have felt it by now, surely. Especially you and I...since we share a mating bond with him as well."

"What if they were taken to another universe? One where the physics of that particular world, or the sheer distance between said universe and ours neutralized or reduced the pain we'd normally feel?"

Spyro sighed, rubbing his eyes with the tip of his ivory claws, "Cyn...they aren't dead."

"How do you know?"

"Because I just do!" he replied, more bitter than he intended to, "I can feel it...they're both still alive..." and his voice calmed as he wrapped one scaled and muscular foreleg around her neck, pulling her close and kissing the top of her forehead, comforting his mate, offended by his outburst, "I just...I don't know where they are..."

"I hope they're okay..."

"So do I, Cyn..." he replied sadly, "So do I..."

_You were always there for me...that is why I loved you...You gave me a reason to live...and for that, I am forever thankful...I love you..._

Alex opened his burning eyes, wincing at the blinding light shining down into them. Groaning, muscles and body feeling stiff, he sat up, rubbing his face and glancing at his surroundings...he was in a sterile white room...white floors, white furniture, white tile, white lights...white walls...white everything.

_Wh...where am I? _He asked, standing and briefly crying out as his lower back muscles shrieked in agony. He blinked, and gasped as memories of everything that had occurred rammed full force through his broken mind. Ripping through the floodgates and drowning his mind and vision in grisly, gruesome detail. "_DASH!_" he cried out, hopping onto his feet and falling painfully to the ground as his legs gave out from beneath him.

"I would be careful, son," a voice replied, sounding as if it emerged from some kind of intercom system.

Instantly alert and acting on reflex, he nimbly rolled into cover behind the hospital bed he had wakened on, reaching for one of his Golden P2Ks in its leather holster...only to find it missing. Now frantic, he realized he was unarmed, and raised his fists as he prepared to fight, fire beginning to flare around his balled fists. "Who is this? Where am I? Where are you? What the hell is going on?" he asked the air, not getting a reply.

After several breathless minutes, he finally released his held breath and walked to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it, running a hand through his shoulder-length, long, dark brown hair, before briefly running it across the scars across the right side of his face, remnants of two separate burns he had sustained to the same area...one a long time ago, when he was still a child, after being caught in an explosion while dealing with poachers in the Californian deserts, the other one a medal after being caught in an ambush during the Battle of Champaign, back in 2011...where out of five thousand men, only he and Spyro crawled out alive.

"Rainbow Dash..." he asked, shaking his head and groaning, "Where is she?" he hissed into the air, listening for a reply, "I know you took her! Where is she!?"

Silence in reply.

"Dammit! ANSWER ME!"

Still silence.

"Shit..." he breathed, collapsing back onto his bed and curling into a ball, facing the wall to the right of his bed, his whole body ached and burned...he could still feel the heat of the nuclear winds...and every time he closed his eyes, and electric bolt would surge through him, causing a repeat of his close run with the Nebelwerfers and the late President Mabao's execution to play before him."Heh..." he replied with a mad grin, "Danger close my ass..."

"What is your name, son?" the male voice asked again, calm but firm.

"My name?" and Alex chuckled madly, "My name is no one! Like experiment Number One!" and he laughed at the reference.

"He's drugged up..." Alex heard a softer, female voice reply over the open mic, just barely audible, "The sedatives haven't warn off yet..." and the mic cut.

"_YOU_!" he growled, ignoring the pain and protest from his aching and traumatized body as he jumped up and stormed towards a black glass, one-way window at the end of the observation room, like a gaping black hole in the otherwise sterile white chamber, "Where is she!" he howled, pounding on the window with a dull and definitive thunk, "I KNOW YOU BASTARDS ARE IN THERE! WHERE IS DASH!?" he emphasized every syllable of his forceful query with a hearty pound on the thick, stable glass...bulletproof and fireproof, whoever these people were, they knew he wasn't a normal human being, and they weren't taking chances.

Finally, after more deafening silence, the mic turned on, and the male voice replied, rather hesitantly, "What is your name?"

"I don't fucking care!" he growled, "Where is Dash!? Where's my mate! ANSWER ME! ANSWER ME YOU BASTARDS! Goddammit!"

The male voice returned, slowly becoming irritated, "What is your name?"

"You want to know my name?" he replied, inhaling deeply through his nostrils, enough to become lightheaded. "Fine then! I'll tell you, but first, tell me where Dash is!"

"Dash?" the male voice returned, sounding slightly more eager.

"Yes, Dash! As in Rainbow Dash! My mate! Where is she?"

"The blue horse?"

"She's a Pegasus! And my mate, goddammit! Where is she!?"

"Your mate?"

"WHERE IS SHE?"

"The mare is in another chamber, now who are you?"

"I demand you bring her here!"

"You are in no position to make demands, son. What is your name?"

"I ain't telling you bastards anything until you let me see Dash!"

Silence for a few moments, and over the open mic, he could hear the male say to another person, "Put the horse in there...if he wants her that badly and he's willing to...yes I know he could screw us over! But it's not like it's going to hurt anything! We'll get our information, one way or the other. If he does talk when we put the horse in there with him, saves us both time, money, and trouble," then, into the mic, "Fine then, we're putting the horse in with you...I hope you don't mind, but we're not taking chances."

"Chances? What the hell...?" but he was cut off as a cloud of golden mist sprayed through the ventilation ducts and into the room with a loud hiss, immediately filling the area and causing him to collapse to the ground in pain and suffering from the noxious fumes...tear gas. In an instant, he was on the ground, defenseless against the damned gas, blinded, tears flowing down his cheeks from his squinted eyes, snot running down from his nose onto the floor. "Christ!" he replied before succumbing to another coughing fit. The sensations sent him back immediately to when he was a child...as per the training Plastro gave him (and all troops) they were forced to endure half an hour in a tear gas chamber without gas masks or any other protection.

Eventually, the hissing ceased and he heard the sound of fans turning on, sucking the gas out. Even after it had dissipated or been drained from the room, he was left on the ground, unable to move, experiencing one of the worse possible sensations he had ever felt in his entire life...and those were many. He heard the squeaking of a nearby door opening...no doubt his door, and the sound of chatter and footsteps walking into the room, as well as a dull thunk before the footsteps left, and the door closed and locked again.

It took a long time for him to recover from the gas, but once he was able to see again, he picked himself up, spying Dash, heavily sedated, laying on the ground, immediately he ran to her side, hugging her and holding her tightly against his body. Her heart beat slow against his chest, her soft, warm fur comforting against his torso.

"We fulfilled our end of the bargain," the male voice replied, "Now, identify yourself!"

"You bastards..." he breathed, still coughing from the gas, "Why do you care?"

"We have no records of your name in our database...who are you?"

"You don't know me? _Maxian_ bastards! You know who I am! What the hell do you mean 'you don't have any record of me'?"

"_Maxian_?" the man asked, "What?"

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" Alex roared, infuriated, "You know who the _Maxia _are! Who doesn't? And you know who I am!"

"We have no record of anything...who are you, where did you come from?"

"Fine then," Alex smirked, "I'll play your damn game...my name is Alex Vaughn, Great Commander of the Terminator Militia. Remember now?"

"Lies aren't going to get you anywhere."

"I'm not lying!" and he laughed in annoyance, "My name is Alex Vaughn!"

"Fine, even if it were...how come we have no record of you?"

"Well I don't know! Why don't you? Surely you have birth records or something!"

"We have none, and we have records on every American citizen."

"Freaking Govies...leave me the hell alone! Leave _us _the hell alone! The war is over! Get used to it!"

"What war?" and the man sounded incredulous.

"What do you mean 'what war'? The Second Civil War? The three year conflict that's been going on between my guys and the Government? How do you not know this, taking into account that your ignorance is true, and not a complete bullshit lie."

"The only war that is occurring, at least that the United States is involved in, is the conflict in Syria, and the minor conflicts in Afghanistan."

"What? So you're telling me that you know NOTHING about the Second Civil War?"

"Second Civil War of what?"

Alex scoffed, "Fine, I'll put it into layman's terms. The Second American Civil War, occurred between the Terminator Militia, longstanding protectors of the USA, and the radical, antitheoistic, anti-American _Maxia _Regime, branch of the US Armed Forces and spearheaded by insane 44th President Barry Mabao between 2010 and 2013...you don't know about this?"

"First of all, its February of 2013, there is no Civil War, nor has there been since the 1800s. Second of all, there is no such thing as the _Maxia _Regime, and third of all, the 44th President of the United States is currently Barack Hussein Obama."

"What...?" Alex replied astounded, "You can't be serious."

"I am serious, now what is your name?"

"My name is Alex Vaughn," Alex replied bitterly, "I think I told you this already. How I bypassed your goddamn radar, damned if I know. I don't even know how I got here! I just woke up and found myself in the middle of some freaking elementary class...at my old _Alma mater_, coincidentally."

"Fine then, Mr. Vaughn, what _do _you remember before your awakening?" and the man listened, intrigued.

Alex glanced down at his mate, holding her even tighter to him, "I was in Phoenix...actually outside of it."

"Phoenix, Arizona?"

"Yes. It was the last stronghold of the _Maxia _Regime, our mission was to go in there, oversee the assassination of President Mabao and quell the _Maxian_ Regime permanently. We went down, attacked the base, then me and my squad stormed the main facility, while friendlies were bombing the area around us. We reached the rooftop, a friendly artillery strike wiped out my entire squad, I got up, saw Mabao crawling out of the wreckage of his crashed heli, and I tried to toss my KA-BAR through his skull. Bastard pulled a cheap shot, I went down, then I finally put a bullet in his brain...and then..." and Alex frowned as his eyes widened.

"Then?" the voice replied impatiently.

"Then I woke up...buried alive...everything was on fire...and there was a mushroom cloud in the distance..."

"Phoenix, Arizona had been subjected to a bombing?"

"Damn _Maxia_, as their last attempt to wipe us out detonated a nuke in Phoenix, trying to take out my army..."

"So how did you end up from a nuked Phoenix, to here?" and the voice seemed as if its owner was struggling not to laugh.

"I...I don't know..." Alex replied, suddenly very, very tired, too tired to be angry. "Walked around that hellhole looking for Dash..." and he nodded towards his mate.

"What is your relationship with the horse?"

"She's a Pegasus!" Alex snapped, "And smarter than the rest of you morons! Besides...she's my mate."

"Your mate?"

"Yes, you heard me. Don't like it? Screw you. Call PeTA on me if you care, I can kick their sorry delusional asses next."

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"Hell do you mean? She's my mate, how hard is it to understand that?"

"What do you mean by 'mate'?"

Alex scoffed, "For the love of...are you really this stupid? She's my mate! My partner..." and he grinned mockingly, "My sex buddy."

"So you admit to having sexual intercourse with the horse?"

"For the last time, she's a Pegasus!"

"You admit to having sexual intercourse with the...Pegasus then."

"No shit, Sherlock, that's what I just said."

"You are aware of bestiality laws?"

"Ain't speaking anymore till I speak to my lawyer," Alex replied with a chuckle, "I plead the fifth, bud."

"Without any proper identification, you are not entitled to a lawyer, Mr. Vaughn. To everyone that could potentially help you, you are nonexistent. Now, we either do this the easy way, or we resort to drastic measures..."

"Heh," Alex replied with a smirk, "Define 'drastic measures'."

The hissing returned as the golden smoke began to pour from the vents again.

"Shit! Okay! Okay! I'll speak! I'll speak!" and the fans turned, sucking away the gas before it could affect him.

"Now, you are aware of bestiality laws?"

"Yes, I'm well aware. But if you would wait until she gets over whatever you doped her up on, then she can consent to this, and your argument is, as such, invalid."

"Consent? An animal can't consent, Mr. Vaughn."

"Yes she can!"

"How?"

"She can talk!"

The male voice boomed laughter, "That's a good one, Mr. Vaughn. Really, I admire your humor," and it instantly sobered, "However, this is a serious legal situation here. In addition to this apparent bestiality, you are also charged with trespassing, possession of an illegal firearm...or actually several, possession of a weapon within a well-defined school zone, possession of firearms without a permit, as well as an assault and battery charge."

"_WHAT!?_ You can't do shit to me! This isn't even my place! I don't live here! Not in this world, not anywhere around this damn world. At least give me diplomatic immunity, if you want to get into legal jargon."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Vaughn, we aren't going to buy your outlandish story. It's clear that you are very well aware you have broken some very important laws, and have done so in a manner that is both repulsive and highly dangerous. No farfetched tale you spin is going to win us over, nor will it win a court, so, I strongly suggest you tell me the truth."

"I _am_ telling the truth!" Alex exclaimed, "It's not my damn fault you have no idea of its existence! I'm telling the honest to God truth!"

The interrogator sighed, "Mr. Vaughn...you are getting yourself nowhere. In fact, you are only digging yourself into a deeper hole. Fine, if you don't want to comply, that's perfectly fine and within your rights. We are arranging a court hearing, however, you will be tried by a jury of your peers, and we will contain you until the date arrives."

"Whatever happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'? You can't hold me in this place!"

"We have damning evidence against you, Mr. Vaughn. We've pretty much already proven you guilty, but we'll let the jury decide your fate," then silence.

"What the hell? I don't understand what is going on! Will somebody tell me where the hell I am and what is going on around here!?"

Several hours later, Alex had dozed off, curling around a still-sedated Rainbow Dash, when the interrogator came back over the intercom, "Mr. Vaughn," he began, causing Alex to shoot up in surprise and reach for his sidearm...which, of course, wasn't there. He sighed beneath his breath as the voice continued, "Your court date is scheduled two weeks from now, until then, you will be treated to a proper room and board, as well as everything the law promises for those who are being detained."

"Lovely...so what dreamy and luxurious suite do I get to rest in for two damn weeks."

"A wonderful prison cell in the county jail."

"Oh well that's just marvelous! And what kind of Bubba do I get to room with? I hope Dash goes with me."

"Your horse will be taken to a local pound and will be treated as is seen proper. However, if you are indeed found guilty of bestiality, then you best say your goodbyes, because in addition to being locked away for a very long time with other sexual offenders, you will not have this 'Dash' waiting for you when you are finally released."

"Hell do you mean?"

"In this state, animals who are victims of sexual abuse are usually humanely euthanized."

"You don't mean..."

"I do mean."

"Oh you bastard!" then after several moments, Alex chuckled, "Go ahead. See what euthanization agents work against a mutant. Ain't the first time one of my teammates were forced to deal with euthanasia, won't be the last, and we've always made it out without any serious effect."

"We'll see, Mr. Vaughn. Now, goodnight Mr. Vaughn. We'll have your transportation here within the hour."

"Ooh I can't wait!"

The voice fell silent, and Alex sighed, swearing beneath his breath as he returned to Dash's side, petting her flank.

She groaned and opened one amethyst eye, "A...Alex?" she asked, blinking.

"Dash..." and he hugged her, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, face contorting in pain as she righted herself into a sitting position, "Ow...think so. Feels like my guts have all been scrambled and rearranged though."

"Yeah," and he laughed sadly, "I know the feeling," and he weakly positioned himself to a sitting position, "Unfortunately...we've got bigger problems..."

"What's wrong?" and she looked around, "Where are we? Last I remember..."

"Yeah, I know," he replied bitterly, "Apparently, when I zapped us away from that nuclear holocaust I sent us to another random-ass universe where we don't exist, where there was no war...problem is, nobody's buying my story, we've been apprehended by the Govies, my ID ain't in their damn database, I've been accused of several crimes, enough to put me away for quite some time...they don't believe that you consented to our mating..."

"Consented?" and she frowned, looking away unhappily, "Hell, I practically forced it on us..."

"No you didn't Dash...you were drunk and horny...we both were. Even then, look what we found out. Apparently, despite what the Bible says about interspecies intercourse between a human and an animal, destiny just planted us together. Worse thing is, because I apparently 'sexually abused' you. They want to put you down, and I'm gonna get tossed into a prison cell with a bunch of sexual predators...just charming. Even if I can quite defend myself and kick their asses...it's a guy's worst nightmare."

"They're gonna put me down?" and she seemed worried.

"Hey, hey..." he replied, hugging her, comforting her and kissing her lightly on her head, "They won't hurt you...they can't. I think the serum will protect us both..."

After several moments, Dash asked, "So...God disapproves of a human and an animal as a couple huh?"

Alex grimaced, "Yeah...Old Testament...Leviticus 18:23 - '_Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion_'. Hell, if you _really _want to get into it, I'm technically breaking the previous verse with my whole thing with Spyro...'_You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination_'."

"Oh snap, double trouble."

"Tell me about it."

"Funny though if you think about it."

"What is?"

"Here we are, an army protected and created by God Himself...and our leader is committing innumerable sins in the process."

Alex smirked, "Everybody sins, and apparently, no one sin is worse than another...though that still doesn't give me an excuse."

"All sins are equally the worse?"

"Yup."

"So murdering an innocent man, raping a helpless child, and lying are all of equal value?"

"Pretty much."

"That doesn't seem right."

Alex shrugged, "That's the Bible, that's what it says. Then again, look how many times it has been edited since it was originally written thousands of years ago. Hell, for all we know, half of the things in there are taken out of context already and their _true _meaning lost forever in time!"

"All sins are equal..." and Dash shook her head, "That just sounds...off."

"I know, but maybe that's some relief for me, but also much worse for someone who might just tell little white lies every now and again. Thing is, all sins can be forgiven. I think the only truly unforgivable sin is suicide."

"Why?"

"Because it's something that can never be amended or repented. Cause, y'know, you aren't alive anymore?"

"So...does that mean we're screwed? Being soldiers and all."

"I think being a soldier is treated slightly different than being some maniacal mass murderer. I mean, throughout history Christians have fought in the name of God, even in the Bible. Hell, I think it's actually something we're supposed to do."

"Kill in the name of God? I doubt it."

Alex shrugged, "Not necessarily that blunt...but...I dunno. I haven't touched a Bible in years...probably should get one out, blow the dust off of it and have a damn good read. Jesus knows I need the reassurance, to know that what we're doing...what we're fighting for...is truly justified...or if we're just fighting for a belief that has long since passed away."

"So what do we do then?"

"Do what we always do...survive and pray for relief before shit really gets bad."

"Alex...I hope we're found..."

"So do I, Dash...so do I."

And they cuddled close to one another, relishing in the contact as they awaited their imminent separation.


	3. Chapter II: Finality

_**Chapter II**_**:**

**-''Finality''-**

**-New Alexandria, Montana-**

**-_7 February 2013_-**

**-_1354 Hours_-**

Spyro crawled out of bed, yawning as he sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and hopping down. He glanced at the clock, groaning once he saw the time. _Seems Cynder isn't the only one having sleeping problems_... he thought with a sigh. The previous night, she had come to him, in tears after awakening from a nightmare in which Alex had passed away. He had actually had a very similar nightmare...but he only hoped that it was just a dream that, like all other dreams, were broadcast throughout the members of Alpha Company, one of the perks of the mutation serum and the mutual mind bank. Of course, he didn't tell her this, and had done everything he could to comfort her. In the predawn light they had mated...but it was more to deal with their melancholy than it was for any pleasure. It had been a week since Alex had gone M.I.A with Dash, Elliot had treated it as if they had been killed in action, even though he wouldn't necessarily say those words, or its cryptic acronym. Instead he chose to consider them as 'missing in action', even if his actions spoke differently.

Personally, Spyro could care less. Elliot had a heart of stone, but he was a damn fine soldier. He knew how to run things, and he knew how to recover from experiences others would consider traumatic. Alpha Company was still suffering, however. Piermont, despite not suiciding and confirming that Alex was alive _somewhere_, was growing increasingly silent and reclusive...which worried all of them. Alex wasn't dead, but it was clear that Piermont had lost all contact with him, just like everyone else. The only difference was that their dragon/rider bond surely intensified the pain that was being felt. Couple that with the mutual gloom that was hanging over the legendary mutant division of the Terminator Militia, and it must have been overwhelming. If there was one thing that Spyro could say about Piermont, it was that the dragon was brave, and he was persistent. When Spyro was forced to take up the mantle and command the Terminator Militia in the absence of Alex, he was worried and nervous...but the war was over, most of their troops were returning home to their families and general morale was high. Add to that, Alpha Company deaths or disappearances were never advertised, they were more or less seen as gods in the eyes of many in their ranks. For news of an Alpha Company death to spread would be devastating, even in an era of peace. Luckily for him, there was little work to be done, save the usual routine paperwork that Alex was keen on putting off until the last minute. Admissions into the Terminator Militia were at an all-time high, but all non-Alpha Company recruitments were managed by Elliot, the High Command only dealt with Alpha Company admissions, which had decreased as of late.

Even though he suspected that business would pick up sometime, the purple dragon and acting commander was enjoying the downtime he did have. With the war over, they didn't have to worry about being volunteered for some hectic or vital mission, and Elliot was leaving them alone on the smaller, miscellaneous jobs, finally allowing them the rest that they deserved. With the _Fiernes Curtain_ down, the dark maroon, smoky skies that had plagued New Alexandria since its erection back in the first days of the war had finally started to dissipate, and sun shone through the thinning cloud cover. The purple dragon looked out his balcony, chuckling as he saw the townsfolk out in the streets, enjoying the day. It had been years since any of them had seen real sunlight, Alpha and Gamma Companies were really the only people allowed to leave the city for work around the country, mostly for missions. These people, the citizens and the lesser companies, hadn't seen sunlight in three years, and now they were taking advantage of the sunlight that they did get.

"Finally over..." Spyro said beneath his breath, "After three years...no more war...no more suffering..." and he chuckled, "Dunno what you did, Alex, but you did good," and he smiled, "Hard to believe where we were man..." he began, speaking to the sky as a slight breeze blew past him, colder than normal, but still warm from the residual heat of the _Fiernes Curtain_, "Three years ago...I was still your protege...Terrias and Aria hadn't joined, the ponies hadn't joined...Terrance hadn't joined. You and Cynder hadn't mated...neither had you and I..." and he said this last part beneath his breath, even though they hadn't _technically _mated, they had come close, "Three years ago...I didn't have this..." and he touched the awkward scale arrangement and melted flesh around the right side of his body, a bad scar from a nasty burn he had received during the Battle of Champaign...at an ambush...a massacre...where only he and Alex emerged and survived. "Three years ago, I had only one kid...now I have two and another on the way...and now here we are..." he frowned, sighing, "Let's just hope this peace lasts."

He walked back inside, heading through his room, the rest of the empty suite, and finally finding the rest of Alpha Company on the balcony of the penthouse floor of Club Camelot-an exclusive and luxurious military club that had been their home since the dawn of the war-socializing, enjoying the rays of sun that shone through dark gray clouds, and the breezy but temperate climate the city was locked in. Over the boombox, Pink Floyd's _The Wall_ was booming loud and clear, and Spyro sang along to _Hey You_ as he headed outside, sitting at the bar between Terrias and Cynder.

_But it was only fantasy._

"How are you feeling?" Terrias asked, concern on the servine's face.

_The wall was too high, as you can see._

Spyro shrugged, "Been better..."

"You and Cynder look like shit, man...Alex and Dash's disappearances have really hit you guys hard."

_No matter how he tried he could not break free_.

"Course..." Cynder replied, "Alex is my mate...Spyro's too," and she nodded towards her mate, saying the final part quietly, "And Dash is a good friend."

_And the worms ate into his brain_.

Terrias glanced back then crouched close to the two dragons, whispering, "I know all about you and Alex, Spyro..." and he nodded slowly, "Could kinda figure that out, man."

"Is it really that obvious?" Spyro whispered back unhappily.

"No, but given the content of some of the random dreams I've had in the past, and some...prior knowledge, also given how the sexiness in certain dreams depicting you two has increased, along with the improvements in your mood, lately, it's not hard to tell. Simple mathematics, my friend," the servine replied, laying back in his chair, placing his feet on the bar and upturning a bottle of Bud Light before immediately righting himself, coughing.

"Shit..."

"Don't worry about it, man," Terrias replied once his coughing fit subsided, patting the dragon on the back, "Ain't the end of the world. We all have our little fetishes. You just happen to have one for humans, like Alex has one for dragons."

"Yeah," Spyro replied bitterly, "Don't see him getting intimate with Piermont...he's a dragon, too, y'know."

"Yeah, but there's a difference," and Terrias sipped the bottle of Bud Light he had been holding, crunching his nose at the taste but taking another swig anyway, soon regaining his position of leaning back in his chair with his feet on the bar.

"And that is?" and Spyro nodded towards the fridge.

"Mountain Dew?" Terrias asked.

"Nope...Jack."

"Oh crap, the hard stuff."

Spyro nodded, "It's been a _long_ week..."

Terrias reached into the fridge, pushing aside a half dozen bottles of Mountain Dew as he pulled out an old bottle of Jack Daniels, left over from a barbecue they had with Elliot back in July, and he popped off the bottle cap with the tip of his KA-BAR, handing Spyro the bottle, "Amen to that, I hear ya, brother. Anyway, to answer your question," he began, taking his seat again, "Alex and Piermont are damn near brothers. I mean, they're more family than they are friends. Which is probably why they haven't done anything. Probably they both see it as incestuous. I mean, would you sleep with your brother?"

"Course not."

"That's probably how they see it."

Cynder smirked, "Oh Terrias, there's more to the story than you realize."

"There is?" both the servine and the purple dragon replied in unison.

Cynder nodded, "Oh yeah...there is. Alex and Pierre have had their fair share of intimate moments."

Terrias' jaw dropped, _"Naw! _No way! You're jacking me."

Cynder shook her head, "Nope."

"When?"

"It's been a while, but they have."

"How long?" Spyro asked, curious.

Cynder shrugged, "They were both still kids."

"Really?" Terrias asked in bewilderment

"Yeah, once they got to that awkward development stage where boys and girls begin to get curious about their private parts...as well as their sexual development, yeah...Alex and Piermont relied on each other..._a lot_...in some...quite interesting ways."

"He didn't go full gay did he?" Spyro asked, taking a swig from the bottle before glancing down at it, smacking his lips and shrugging, taking another swig.

"No, but from what I hear, from _both _parties mind you, they came pretty damn close sometimes," Cynder replied, hopping up, mixing herself a martini and sitting down again, sipping from it.

"How'd they hide it from the rest of us?" Terrias asked, opening another bottle of Bud Light.

"Same way Piermont and Cherub hide their sexual pleasure from the rest of us. Actually, that's probably where they finetuned that technique, Alex can do it, too, if he wanted. He probably doesn't care though. He knows we know that he and Dash have plenty of funtime, it's a bitch to hold back the radiation...almost more of an excursion than it's worth...but it's possible," Cynder replied with a nod.

"So why didn't he allow any pleasure radiation whenever he and Piermont did it?" Spyro asked.

"They were both too embarrassed to deal with the natural human-or animalian-impulse to explore one's sexuality. I can understand where they're coming from."

"So instead of owning up to it...they did it in secret?" Terrias asked.

"Yep, then they hid the pleasure radiation so that nobody found out and they wouldn't be embarrassed when confronted with such a deeply personal and intimate subject."

"So how did _you _find out?" Spyro asked his mate.

Cynder shrugged then smiled smugly, "I happened to be a bit of a confidant to both parties. Between being Alex's mate and on friendly terms with Piermont, you learn a lot of interesting things. They have quite some stories to tell, too, if you give time to listen."

"Aren't they afraid to admit the truth?" Spyro replied with a smirk.

"Um...sort of. They don't do it anymore...so they more just laugh it off than anything."

Spyro frowned, "Yet Pierre still won't say anything but insults to me, especially on how I'm 'gay for Alex', freaking hypocrite."

"Bah! Don't let him get under your skin," Cynder replied, "That's the only reason why he picks on you so much. You're so easy to draw a reaction from."

"He hates my guts."

"He doesn't _hate _you, Spyro," Terrias replied, "He sees you like his little brother, that's why he picks on you all the time...plus, like Cyn said, you are easy to piss off..." and he chuckled, "And sometimes, it _is _funny seeing your reaction."

"Could've fooled me."

"You've never had a sibling, have you?"

Spyro glared at the servine, "Half sibling," he replied, "Before I found out it was all a lie..."

"Bet you and Sparx picked on each other a lot though."

"Well...yeah...before he went off on me for mating with Cynder."

"That's what Piermont does to you, man...just gotta take a joke."

"Sorry, but my knack for jokes has kinda died since I found out the truth of my past...then since my admission into Alpha Company, my sense of humor has decreased even more."

"How unfortunate, but yeah. Piermont doesn't mean any hostility or suffering to you. He picks on you because you're like his little brother, he doesn't mean any harm. Just gotta ease up a little, man."

"Heh..." Spyro replied, looking at the half-empty bottle of booze in his paw, "I dunno, give me about ten minutes and another bottle of this stuff...and we'll see how eased up I am."

"Aha!" Terrias replied with a wide grin, clapping Spyro on the back, "_THAT_, my friend, is what I like to hear!" and he handed another bottle to the purple dragon, pulling out another bottle of Bud, his third, and popping off the bottle cap, holding it into the sky, "A toast to friendship and the end of the war!"

"Ura!" the two dragons replied in unison, and they clinked their glasses.

Alex sat up, groaning as the metal door to his containment cell creaked open and three men approached him, all dressed in police uniforms. He was tangled with Dash, they had fallen asleep comforting each other. Realizing the imminence of what was to occur, and knowing he couldn't prevent it, he gave her a parting kiss, brushing aside her mane to give the sleeping Pegasus a kiss on her forehead before the guards separated them and dragged him away.

Dash awoke yawning as she turned to face her mate. "Alex!" she cried, and she raced to the door, but it was closed before she reached it, locked once again.

Instantly, she was filled with a gaping emptiness and loneliness...here she was in a strange land, and the only person she knew had just been taken away to somewhere unknown, far away from her.

"Alex...don't go..." and she slid down the wall to a sitting position.

She immediately tried making telepathic contact with him, but found herself reaching a dead end. Once more, the physics of this world were starting to fight them. What frightened her even more, was that she glanced at her hoof, finding that she was starting to become transparent...

_This isn't good... _she thought in alarm, _Alex...oh God Alex...we need help and soon..._

Alex was violently thrown out of the prison transport vehicle and onto the cold, concrete road. "Get up!" one of the policeman ordered Alex complied before being forcefully shoved forward.

_So this is how I'm gonna go down... _he replied darkly, _Forced to live out the rest of my days, powerless, sharing a cell with my new husband Bubba... _and he shuddered. _Doubt the sex is as good as what Spyro can give_, and he physically burst out laughing before abruptly being ordered to remain silent by the police. _This is the end...isn't it. What a way to go down, never would have imagined it._ _Always imagined going down in the heat of battle. Hell, if I would have died in Phoenix, I'd still would have died a happy man...but this...this is ridiculous and pathetic._ Then a grim thought crossed his mind, _Is this Hell? Am I in Hell? _His mind returned to the Devil's Arena then, where he had spent a brutal 'real world' week fighting gladiatorial style battles with demons and monsters of varying powers, mostly tag-teaming with the recently departed Terrias, slain by Jazz's blade when he was still _Maxia_, before they had been forced to fight one another. He then wondered if it were possible that Hell was different for everyone, that the fire pit was a generic fantasy of mankind, placing a dark cave and an abyss of fire as evil incarnate. Maybe there were multiple 'floors' of Hell, each different from the last?

But Dash...she was here with him...

Was this his Hell? Hers? Was she just a cognitive fantasy his damned soul created to torture him emotionally?

All he knew was that he wanted her comfort now, more than ever before, and it didn't even have to be sexual, just to touch her would calm his nerves.

Reality was knocked back into him as he was forced into a cell, occupied by another male, a big, burly, barrel-chested black man, about early thirties, with a buzzed head, golden earrings, and a stained, dingy white undershirt and camouflage cargo pants. The man looked up towards Alex briefly before retuning his gaze to the cell floor. Alex stood up, brushing his pants as he sat on a bench across from the man. He had been stripped of his charred military uniform and was now dressed in a white undershirt and faded jeans, combat boots replaced with well worn and well-used sneakers. His weapons were gone, his head had been shaved almost bald, and the only thing he still had left was his dogtags, dented and worn, still around his neck.

He leaned back against the cinderblock wall, looking up towards the single light in his cell, buzzing. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the execution of President Mabao, and saw Dash as she looked the previous night, happy to see him, overjoyed that he was okay, but also concerned about their imminent separation, he found his thoughts turning to where she was, and how she was fairing, and he tried to make telepathic contact with her, failing to do so.

"Dash..." he said with a sigh, "Hell are you? Why can't I make contact?"

"What are you in for?" the man asked.

Alex looked towards his cellmate, whom had straightened, staring at him, hands crossed on his lap.

"Framed."

"For what?"

Silence, then Alex sighed and recalled his extensive list of apparent broken laws.

"Shit, man, in the black market or somethin'?"

"Nah, guy," Alex replied, "I'm a damn soldier. Ain't the govies' fault that I ain't in their database. Clearly those assholes in Washington have a severely flawed system. What are you in for?"

"Framed for rape and murder of a nice little girl that lived on the same street as I did. I tried to stop the real murderer, but the fuzz showed up the moment he got away. Naturally, I was their prime suspect."

"Sorry to hear that."

"You believe me? Damn, you're the first one that does."

Alex turned to face the astounded man, who was indeed innocent, "I have a way of telling the truth from fiction. I can sense when someone's lying...it's a gift of sorts. You're innocent," and he was.

"Have fun gettin' the courts to believe ya."

Alex shrugged, "I would, but I have my own running date with them."

"Good luck, you're gonna need it. I swear when they run the juries, they pick guys specifically against us."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Alex replied, "Doesn't help the government hates me anyway," and he remembered the civil war that had ravaged his home world for the past three years, "You have any family?"

The man shook his head, "None. Dad's in prison for life, Mama passed away from illness, no brothers or sisters, I was a child of the street. Ain't got no family anywhere."

"You and me both..." Alex replied.

"You have no family?"

He shook his head, "No...I mean I did...kinda. Thing is, I was kidnapped when I was three, forced to join a militia...trained as a soldier. By my fourth birthday, I had racked a kill count of over one hundred fifty people."

"Dayum, son."

Alex shrugged, "I've been a soldier since then."

"Did notice you looked a little worse for wear."

Alex chuckled, tracing the burn scars along his face, "Yeah...welcome to the army."

The guy fell silent then, and Alex leaned back against the wall of his prison cell, spacing out, _Dash_..., he thought to the world, _Speak to me...tell me where you are...Where are you? Are you okay?_

_Where are you...?_

That phrased carried on the wind, reaching Dash's ears as she was yoked and led with another horse to a rundown stable. Her wings had been clipped, although they would heal in time thanks to the mutation serum, her flying would not be as powerful or quick as it was for an unknown length of time.

_Where are you?_

The emotion in that tone was painful and overwhelming, and it resonated deep within her. She never realized how much she loved Alex until just now. They were apart from each other, neither knew where the other was, they didn't know when, if ever, they would see each other again...and the worst part was that they couldn't sense or contact each other.

When she was finally released from the yoke, she found herself in the stable, along with another three normal horses. Behind her, the door closed with a bang and the jiggling of a lock. She turned around, crying out for help...but for some reason no one could hear her. She didn't understand why, even though she tried talking to them, they didn't seem to have heard her...

_ALEX! _she cried out telepathically. _ALEX? WHERE ARE YOU!?_

Faintly, she could feel his heartbeat in her own, and it finally faded completely away. Now she felt completely alone and isolated in this strange hostile world...unable to feel Alex, she collapsed to the ground, curled into a ball, and without caring at all, collapsed into tears, soon crying herself to sleep.

"Such emotion..." Luna, a faint outline hovering above both of them, began, watching over the two of them, "The elements of harmony are shattered, loyalty hath lost her better half and hath given up the will to fight...we must do something Celestia..."

_There is nothing we can do, Sister_. Celestia's omnipresent voice began, registering telepathically to Luna, who had placed herself into a spiritual state, _Even if there was, Trixie has locked us away, and our powers have been neutralized._

"Must there be someone who can help them...lest they are rescued from this plane and returned to their home world, any hope for Equestria's salvation is nil."

_As much as it pains me to say this, you are right...but I do not know who can save them...who can we contact that can transfer through multiple parallels to rescue them? We can't even contact the others of Alpha Company to inform them of their presence...not until Trixie's restraints over our power is broken._

"What shall we do then, Celestia?"

_Wait a minute...maybe..._

"Dost thou have a plan, Celestia?"

_Discord...perhaps he can aide us...he can transfer and interact between worlds._

"To summon a creature of chaos? Thy plan is foolish, Celestia."

_Yes, but he is our only chance...locate him, inform of him their location._

Luna sighed, "It shall be done, Celestia." and she faded away.

_Alex slowly opens his eyes, his whole body burns and is sore, but he sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looks around, finding himself in the center of a beautiful valley. All around him, he sees mountains surrounding the area, their snow-capped peaks obscured by clouds. The grasses beneath him are emerald green and blow in the breeze, and the skies above are a brilliant, cyan blue. He stands up, realizing he's barefoot, and the grasses are silky smooth beneath his bare soles. He is wearing his prison clothes, and he stands tall, taking in his surroundings._

"_You have awakened," emerges a voice upon the wind, "How much I miss you..."_

"_Whose there?" he asks, "Where are you?"_

_He senses someone behind him and abruptly turns around to find a familiar girl standing behind him. She's in a long, flowing dress, dingy yellow, and stained with blood, and her unique eyes are sad, the left eye clouded over._

"_No.1..." he mouths, blinking in astonishment. _

_She stands tall, but something is off about her. Her form is transparent, no longer solid, and her speech is almost...robotic...preprogrammed..._

"_Help me...help me..." she whispers, tears flowing from her eyes._

"_No.1...I thought you were dead..."_

_He walks up to her, grabbing her fragile hands in his own. She doesn't react, and he is alarmed to find that he can't feel her..._

"_No.1..."_

"_You...are my best friend..." she replies, once more in that eerie, melancholic voice, "You have always been...and I loved you for it..."_

"_Speak to me...talk to me! Please!" Alex pleads._

"_I only hope that we could have met before all of this..."_

"_No.1..."_

"_I love you..."_

...And he opened his eyes, finding himself in the dark prison cell, in the bottom bunk. He sat up, yawning as he listened to the only sounds in the dark cell, the snoring of his cellmate. He thought he heard a strange drone or warbling sound, like some kind of pulsating note. It was a frequency that wasn't too loud or too quiet...almost like a binaural beat, and it was soothing. He felt an eerie sensation, like slimy, worm-like fingers squirming into his brain, each brush of the imagined long, grimy nails sending an electric jolt through his brain, each shock sending memories of the Second Civil War through his brain...

Underlying beneath the memories was Mabao's final speech...

"_Oh Commander, you are such a sad little boy, continuing this petty war even though your fate is already sealed. Are you too ignorant to realize this...too blind in your zealotry...or too arrogant to see that you cannot win!"_

He shook his head, trying to shake the memories away as he felt them taking over his mind...he was about to experience a flashback...

"_Instead of just accepting defeat, you continue to fight blindly towards some irretrievable goal of yours. You have ended so many innocent, American lives...permanently shattered so many families...and yet you still claim to fight for this 'greater good'...or is it called 'survival' now? You even mimicked our own methods and attacked our capital city directly! To get to me? By the time you reach me, I will be long gone, you have failed in your mission yet again, Commander, and that isn't even the best part._

"_This was your last chance, and it WILL be your last chance. For even if you do reach me, neither of us will get out of here alive. Plus, you foolishly brought the rest of Alpha Company with you! How wonderful! Your army is doomed now, for in less than half an hour, in the light and heat of a second sun, we will all be nothing but dust and ashes blowing endlessly in the wind, soon to be forgotten in time, a relic of a time long-since past. The sacrifice of over ten million souls for the price of the lives of Alpha Company is steep, indeed...but desperate times call for desperate measures, I'm afraid._

"_Remember this, when there are two suns in the sunset, and you are left, forgotten, in the unnatural wind to follow the purifying light, ten million lives will be on your name. It's a shame that you never were able to see the Maxia as I do. A world, a society, free from the shackles of religion and morality, where we can live in peace and harmony without fear of death or darkness...but no...you had to fight for your nonexistent God, you had to fight for immorality...fight for something that, even were it real, could care less about one hapless, warp-minded boy in a world of over seven billion._

"_But it's too late for redemption. Too late for forgiveness. Today, this war ends, and if my destiny leads me to my fate here today? I will go to the grave with ease, knowing that you will seek a fate much worse when the clock turns over!"_

"No..." he muttered, "No, no, no...Mabao is dead...the war is over!"

He stiffened, blood running cold as he heard a grisly chuckle, a gritty, dead sound, "Even now you continue to deny the truth..." a corpse-like voice replied, and Alex, terrified, abruptly turned to a horrifying sight. A bloodied Mabao in a grimy, bloodstained tuxedo, eyes coal-black and sunken in, a black bullet hole in his forehead with black, dried blood dripping from the wound, down his nose, "The war is not over...it will never be over. For although I am dead, my influence still remains, my legacy lives on!"

"Impossible!" Alex muttered, scampering out of bed and stumbling backwards, "I killed you!"

"Commander, there is no sense in fighting anymore," Mabao's corpse replied, "You see, in the end, I WILL win. You think my regime would fall simply with my demise? Of course not!"

"The war is over!" Alex hissed, still near panic, "You're dead! I...I confirmed the kill!"

"Dead? Yes. But the war continues, even after my death. The _Maxia _and the Caeda fight independently now."

Just then, Alex's cellmate awoke, and the man, rubbing his eyes, asked, "Who you talkin', too at this hour?"

Alex didn't hear him, "You're lying! The war is over!"

The corpse of Mabao laughed, "The war is just beginning! Rainbow Dash is only the first casualty!"

"Wait! No! DASH! Where is she you bastard!"

Mabao only laughed as he faded away, his laughter lingering and echoing around briefly before dissipating. Alex collapsed to his knees, overcome with emotion, but also, at the same time, numb.

"Dash..." Alex muttered.

"Dash? Whose that?" his cellmate asked.

Alex didn't reply.

"You okay, brother?"

"Dash..."

"Who's Dash?"

"Huh?" and Alex looked up as if he had just snapped out of a trance.

"Who's Dash?"

"Oh...she's...a very good friend of mine," Alex replied. "Came here with me...haven't seen her since we were separated."

"Ah, sorry to hear that, brother."

Alex shrugged. "I just want get out of this hellhole."

"Don't we all. Especially if we did nothin' wrong to get here in the first place."

Spyro, quite intoxicated, stumbled into the living room of Suite One, clambering onto the couch before allowing his legs to give out beneath him, leaving him sprawled on his stomach across the couch while his tail hanged limply over the edge, "You okay?" Cynder, also drunk but not as bad as Spyro, asked with a chuckle, hopping onto the couch, standing over, straddling her mate, and licking him from the top of his head, down his back, and to the base of his wings before chuckling again.

Spyro groaned, "Screw you alcohol..."

"Too much?" Cynder asked, sliding the cold side of her tailblade across his belly and down to his sheathe, coaxing him out.

He waved her off, "Leave me alone..."

"You have to say please," she replied with a laugh.

He weakly flipped her off.

"Not right now," she replied, then crouching down, whispering into his ear, "Ask me later though..." and she rubbed her slit against the spines on his lower back once before hopping down again.

Spyro groaned in reply, then rolling on his back raised a paw against the weak sunlight beaming through the window above the couch.

"Hey guys..." Terrias began, hanging up his cellphone as he entered the room, "We have some news that you may want to hear about."

"What is it?" Spyro slurred.

"Public enemy number one of Equestria just contacted us...seems they've found Alex and Dash. Aria and I are calling a meeting, let's go."


End file.
